Upside Down
As the British army surrendered at
There are two candidates. Incumbent Tommy Craven – a conservative Republican. And Nancy McFarlane – an Independent who could be a liberal Democrat cousin of Mayor Meeker’s.
The News and Observer asked both candidates where they stood on the city giving North Hills developer John Kane $78 million to subsidize his mall.
Craven’s long answer had three parts. First, he dodged. (The City Council hasn’t considered Kane’s proposal). Second, in theory he’s against the idea of subsidies. (He voted against this type of financing in the referendum in 2004). Third, a loophole. (But the referendum passed so it’s the law and now we have to decide how to best give the money away).
In short, Craven’s no fool. He knows eighty percent of the voters in his District oppose subsidizing North Hills. So, he bobbed and weaved but left himself a way to help Kane, later. (Because under his plan Kane could qualify for a subsidy).
Mrs. McFarlane, on the other hand, was more blunt. She said, ‘Kane wants the city to exempt him from paying property taxes so he can use the money to pay off the debt on his mall and, no, she’s not for that.’
So the conservative Republican is for giving a $78 million subsidy to North Hills and the Mayor’s liberal Independent first cousin is against it. Which seems dead-backwards.
Republicans have fallen on hard times since electing Tom Fetzer and Paul Coble Mayor. Today, the two Democrat prime movers on the City Council are Mayor Meeker and Councilwoman Jessie Taliaferro. Meeker’s got the clout to get just about whatever he wants and Taliaferro led – successfully – the effort to raise impact fees on developers 72%. Neither is supporting subsidizing Kane. Charles Meeker’s Achilles heel, politically, is his propensity to spend money like water. But rather than holding him accountable the Republicans are going in the opposite direction. Giving $78 million to North Hills is not likely to restore Republican fortunes.
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Upside Down
As the British army surrendered at
There are two candidates. Incumbent Tommy Craven – a conservative Republican. And Nancy McFarlane – an Independent who could be a liberal Democrat cousin of Mayor Meeker’s.
The News and Observer asked both candidates where they stood on the city giving North Hills developer John Kane $78 million to subsidize his mall.
Craven’s long answer had three parts. First, he dodged. (The City Council hasn’t considered Kane’s proposal). Second, in theory he’s against the idea of subsidies. (He voted against this type of financing in the referendum in 2004). Third, a loophole. (But the referendum passed so it’s the law and now we have to decide how to best give the money away).
In short, Craven’s no fool. He knows eighty percent of the voters in his District oppose subsidizing North Hills. So, he bobbed and weaved but left himself a way to help Kane, later. (Because under his plan Kane could qualify for a subsidy).
Mrs. McFarlane, on the other hand, was more blunt. She said, ‘Kane wants the city to exempt him from paying property taxes so he can use the money to pay off the debt on his mall and, no, she’s not for that.’
So the conservative Republican is for giving a $78 million subsidy to North Hills and the Mayor’s liberal Independent first cousin is against it. Which seems dead-backwards.
Republicans have fallen on hard times since electing Tom Fetzer and Paul Coble Mayor. Today, the two Democrat prime movers on the City Council are Mayor Meeker and Councilwoman Jessie Taliaferro. Meeker’s got the clout to get just about whatever he wants and Taliaferro led – successfully – the effort to raise impact fees on developers 72%. Neither is supporting subsidizing Kane. Charles Meeker’s Achilles heel, politically, is his propensity to spend money like water. But rather than holding him accountable the Republicans are going in the opposite direction. Giving $78 million to North Hills is not likely to restore Republican fortunes.
Click Here to discuss and comment on this and other articles.